Pioneer announces seed treatment offerings

Oct 08, 2009

Pioneer Hi-Bred, a DuPont business, has announced the company's Pioneer Premium Seed Treatment offering for the 2010 planting season, a program which will provide growers even more flexibility to select seed treatment products based on the season's field conditions and individual needs.

"The Pioneer Premium Seed Treatment offering further enhances the Pioneer product performance equation which includes three key components — unique proprietary genetics, industry-leading traits and seed treatment options," says Mick Messman, Pioneer senior marketing manager for North American seed treatment. "These new seed treatment options provide growers even more effective choices in placing the right product on the right acre."

Insecticides, fungicides, nematicides, as well as seed treatment amendments can help protect and enhance the genetics, as well as the agronomic and defensive traits in a hybrid or variety. They also help solidify seed product performance to maximize crop productivity.

For 2010 planting, Pioneer is offering fungicide and fungicide/insecticide treatments from the conditioning plant, as well as increasing choices growers will have for soybean seed treatments through the company's extensive network of sales professionals.

In addition to the same soybean treatment products provided through production facilities for 2010, namely Gaucho insecticide and Trilex and Allegiance fungicides, the new Pioneer Premium Seed treatment offering also provides the flexibility of adding inoculants, signal molecules and other treatment amendments applied closer to planting to meet localized needs and conditions for maximized productivity.

For corn seed treatments in 2010, Pioneer will be offering Cruiser Extreme 250 and Poncho 1250. Additionally, Avicta Complete Corn, a new offering which protects against nematodes in corn, will be available on an as-ordered basis for corn.

In coming years, Pioneer will continue to review treatment options including new fungicides, plant health promoters and other amendments.

"We've increased the number of plots and personnel dedicated to seed treatment testing and application throughout North America," says Messman. "Many new products are coming to market, and with our added resources and focus on seed treatments, we can determine which ones will best complement Pioneer genetics and traits and provide the most value for growers."

"Seed treatments offer a risk management tool," says Messman. "Even in years when disease and insect pressures are low and field conditions are good, seed treatments are a cost-effective option for growers."

Pioneer surveys show a majority of corn acres are planted nearly 10 days earlier than a decade ago. Both corn and soybean growers with more acres may start earlier to ensure planting is complete within the optimum window.

"This means more chance for weather to create obstacles to plant emergence and development," says Messman. "No-till or reduced-till fields result in cooler seedbeds which can lead to delayed germination and emergence with greater potential seedling disease and insect pressure. With this, growers are seeing more stand establishment challenges, and these problems are not limited to northern areas. Seed treatments also can help growers curb the effects of potential seedling diseases and insects and reach their target plant populations."

Soybean treatments applied by Pioneer sales professionals will allow growers to customize treatments to match their specific insect and disease pressures. While it's difficult to predict conditions each year, seed treatments offer peace of mind and can be customized to fit individual farming operations.

To learn more about seed treatments and the Pioneer Premium Seed Treatment offering, contact your local Pioneer sales professional.